


A Small Christmas Story

by Rexroy101



Series: Love's Blind [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Gen, Holidays, One Shot, Serial Killers, Spiked Hot Chocolate, happy holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 22:19:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13086555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rexroy101/pseuds/Rexroy101
Summary: A short fluff piece about our favorite family of serial killers.





	A Small Christmas Story

The apple was cold and wet in his hand, the rough edges strange in comparison to the usually smooth peel. He could feel the serrations of the peeler on the apple flesh. He held it to the board in front of him and took the knife in his other hand to slice the apple in half.

“Alright, can you please let someone else do that?” Sam’s drawl cut in, a hint of anxiety making it sharper than usual. “I don’t know if you realized this, Steve, but you’re blind.”

Steve chuckled. “What?” He mock gasped. “I’m bind? Sam, why didn’t you tell me?” He put one of the apple halves on its face and started to slowly cut slices of apple.

“I’m serious man, let someone else handle the sharp slicey things! Why can’t you just sit on the couch and enjoy the music?”

Steve tilted his head, stopping all motion as he listened to the litany of Christmas songs coming from his small radio “I can hear them from here, Sam. And I want to be of some help, this is my house and I did invite all of you to this party. And this is my mother’s apple pie. I’m not gonna allow stranger’s to make my mother’s apple pie.”

“And,” a rumble shivered through Steve’s back as the person that was cuddled up behind him mumbled out, “he’s doing a good job. He can cut an apple. And if he was going to hurt himself, I would step in.”

Steve couldn’t help the tingly feeling that curled down his spine as Bucky spoke from just next to his ear. The heat of the other body was relaxing and natural against his back. It was one of Bucky’s favorite cuddling positions.

Sam went quiet at Bucky’s comments, but Steve could feel the unease that still filled the air.

“Fine,” Steve relented, placing the apple and knife squarely down on the surface in front of him. He then reached down to the arms wrapped around his waist, and pulled hands to place them out in front of them. “Can you take care of this Buck?”

Another shiver racked through Steve’s body as Bucky let a short sigh out against his neck. Bucky grumbled a response and the blond man slipped under an arm and out of the hold of his boyfriend.

He turned to look in Sam’s direction. “Happy?”

“Yes.” Was the resolute response. Steve rolled his eyes at his strange friend. 

He took in a deep breath, smelling the ham in the oven and the vegetables that Sam was cutting by the sink. There was the hint of apples and spices from the apple cider and a warm undercurrent of chocolate from his living area. There was also a spike of mint alcohol from the Peppermint Schnapps that Tony had brought to get everyone at the party wasted. 

Steve wandered out into the living room, hearing the small chatter of conversation from the rest of his guests. From what he could tell, Natasha was on the far side, talking quietly with Bruce, but it was hard to hear anything with the way that Thor was booming right next to him, telling a joke about a handmaiden to a humming Clint. 

Steve could only guess that Tony must have left the room for a moment, since there was no quick machine gun remarks, and Loki must be sitting on the couch glaring at everyone again.

Steve stepped next to Thor as he finished his joke.

“… it was a SWAN!” Thor’s laughter boomed out of him and through Steve’s very bones. It made Steve grin at the power and genuine laughter in the man’s voice.

“You’re kidding me,” Clint groaned, a small chuckle rippling out of him. “I’ve decided, I do not want to meet any of your friends. What do you think, Steve?”

Steve blinked at being suddenly pulled into the conversation, but took it with stride. Clint always liked to try to put him off balance. “Wouldn’t know, I missed half of what was being said,” Steve replied honestly.

A huge hand smacked against his shoulder in a hearty slap. “You would love to meet them, Friend Rogers. They are most exciting and interesting people. I have a great story about Fandral and a boar.”

“Oh god,” Clint mumbled into a drink.

Steve turned to “look” up at the giant beside him. “Well I was actually just making rounds to see if everyone’s doing okay. Did you guys get enough hot chocoloate?”

The hand on his shoulder squeezed in a friendly manner. “You are being quite a gracious host, Friend Rogers. I have never felt so well taken care of.”

“Oh come off it, “ a cold voice snapped from behind Steve. “The little one asked a basic question. If he was a good host, dinner would be ready by now.”

Steve tilted his head in surprise. Apparently Loki wasn’t on the couch but on one of the lounge chairs. Which was good for Steve, because at least now he knew that someone wouldn’t be taking up the entire couch for the remainder of the evening.

The friendly grip on Steve’s shoulder turned harsh at the sneering. “Steve is doing a more than adequate job as our host. And as for dinner, he said it would be ready when they could finish cooking the ham, brother.”

Steve let out an inward sigh as the two brothers started to bicker. He really hoped that Thor would start to notice when his brother wanted more attention so that their would be fewer of these drawn out arguments, but that future looked like it wouldn’t arrive without a little help.

“I came because you wanted to come here! But if that’s how you feel, then fine! I’m going home.”

Steve actually sighed. Make that a lot of help.

“Woah woah woah! Where’s Reindeer Games think he’s going? We haven’t even started this party?” Tony’s obnoxious voice cut through the rest of the sound in the room.

Steve didn’t know if wanted to grin or actually let out a full on groan. Tony was always a surprise when he dealt with the Odinson brothers. Sometimes he could make even Loki let out a little chuckle(usually at Thor’s expense), but more often than not he would just transfer the annoyance that Loki usually held for the world solely onto himself. 

“Stop calling me that!” Loki snapped back. 

Ooh goody, it was going to be the second option.

“What, and miss all the fun?”

“What is that name supposed to mean anyways?” Loki cried in exasperation.

“Well you are obviously Gabriel, and your brother there is Rudy. Yeah it’s not the perfect comparison but I thought that Dead Ringers was a little to on the nose.” Tony blathered. “I also thought of Children of the Corn, but that movie freaked me out when I was a little kid and I never could get over it. Though you would be a pinch hitter for Issac, and your brother here could be a pretty close Malachai. Maybe not with as much dead eyed staring and screaming, though. “

“I don’t. Understand. What you are saying, “ Loki pronounced slowly as if he was hoping that if he said it slowly enough Tony would finally get the message.

“Serious? What a shame! You’re really missing out on some great movies…”

Steve wandered away from the group as Tony started listing off different movies that Loki needed to see and Loki told him in no simpler words, that he really didn’t care.

Steve moved over to the two quieter members of his party.

“Who started it this time?” Natasha’s soothing voice questioned. 

Steve turned his head in her direction. “Want to take a guess?”

Bruce let out a sigh. “I had been hoping those two would try to avoid each other for an evening. It’s Christmas, and it’s your Christmas party.”

Steve shrugged. “It’s kinda hard to avoid each other when there are only eight people in a room. Maybe I should invite more people next year,” he mused.

“That is completely unnecessary,” Natasha replied coolly.

“If they really start to become a problem I’ll put something in their drinks to calm them down,” Bruce reassured Steve, sending a quite different type of shiver down the blonde’s spine.

Steve was trying to think of something to reply with when he heard the sound of heavy clomping coming from the kitchen. He tipped his head so that he could track the sound as it moved past Tony and Loki, who were still arguing, and over to where he, Natasha and Bruce were standing.

Arms curled around his stomach as a large body pressed up tight behind him.

“The pie is finished and Sam’s finally done with all the vegetables. Now we just wait for the ham to finish cooking and we can start eating.” Bucky informed the side of Steve’s neck.

“Is Sam out of the kitchen as well?” Steve asked.

Bucky let out a non-committal grumble.

“Yes, it seems he has finally been freed,” Bruce answered instead. ”He looks a fair amount paler, though.” Humor laced the man’s voice.

Steve sighed. “Bucky…” 

“I didn’t say anything!” Bucky protested, his arms tightening around Steve’s waist.

‘That was probably worse,’ Steve thought to himself, kicking himself for leaving the two alone. But really, Sam needed to get over his fear of Bucky. He should understand by now that Bucky won’t hurt him!

Probably…

“Are you going to cling to Steve all night?” Natasha asked, a smirk hidden in her words.

“Do you have a problem with that?” Bucky challenged, his arms gentle, but his voice sharp.

“No,” Natasha replied without hesitation, “I was just wondering if you were going to act like a child the entire evening.”

There was a chuff from Bruce as Bucky snorted in disdain. 

“He’s mine, so I get to touch him.”

Steve flushed at the phrasing. 

“Because that is definitely a healthy relationship,” Bruce cut in, his voice dry to the point of crackling.

“You want to say-“

“Hey Buck,” Steve interrupted before James could really pick up steam with his aggression. Bucky was swift and strong, but Bruce was careful and callous. “Can we sit down? I feel like I’ve been standing all day.”

Steve didn’t think that he had somehow carefully and covertly extracted Bucky from the conversation, and from the long pause that came after Steve’s words, Steve didn’t think that the three killers in the conversation didn’t realize exactly what he was doing and what it meant. But Steve also knew that Bucky could never say “no” to him if he asked nicely.

“Sure, do you want something to drink to? I can go grab you something?” Bucky capitulated quickly, pulling Steve backwards towards the right corner of the couch.

“I’m alright, I just wanted to sit down for a bit,” Steve pulled at Bucky’s arm, forcing the other man to sit in the corner of the couch so that Steve could lean against him.

The couch rocked backwards, the back board groaning under pressure.

“Tony, stop climbing over the back of my couch, you’re going to break it, “ Steve barked.   
“I’m bored, we should play some sort of Christmas game.” Tony announced, ignoring Steve’s annoyance.

“Are there such games?” Thor asked at the same time Sam said “Absolutely not.”

“Oh there are quite a few, my dear Thunder boy,” Tony quipped before letting out a dramatic sigh. “You are such a party pooper, Sam-the-man. I even left explosions out of most of them. We should at least do some holiday traditions. Like sing a Christmas Carol!”

“No.” Natasha warm voice was unyielding.

“Or… we could chug spiked hot chocolates!” Tony continued as if he had not been so swiftly cut off.

“You want a group of murderers to get utterly drunk together,” Loki deadpanned.

“Wouldn’t be my worst weekend night,” Clint admitted. 

“Well I want to do something with this small family like thing we have going on.” Tony explained.

“Family?” Bruce wondered aloud. 

There was a short laugh from Sam. “Oh god, I didn’t notice! We should make a Christmas card.”

There was a short gasp among the chuckles. “That would be perfect!” Tony exclaimed.

“Oh god, no,” Sam stated, all humor gone from his voice. Thor let out another bout of laughter at the doomed voice.

Tony bulldozed on. “We should take a picture and create some cards with it! We could send one to Detective Fury!” 

Steve shrugged at the idea. Pictures had lost their appeal, nowadays. He’d much rather have a small video.

“Come on, just a few pictures! Some one must have a camera somewhere,” Tony continued.

“Are we seriously going to take a Christmas picture?” Clint asked, sounding a little shocked and still in disbelief.

“I would be overjoyed if I could have a memento of this day,” Thor added. “We are so rarely in the same place at once.”

“Yes! Avenger’s Christmas!” Tony cheered.

“Oh god,” Clint muttered. “Alright, I have my phone, we can use that.”

There was muttering and shuffling of feet as Clint strode across the room to stand near the right corner.

Steve turned his head in the general direction that he thought Clint was standing. He put a generic smile on his face and waited. It should probably look okay if he wasn’t staring directly at the camera lens.

Steve startled slightly as fingers touched his chin, shifting it farther to the right.

Steve turned his head willingly, assuming that he must have gotten the direction incorrect. However, Steve became more and more confused as his head was turned further and further right. Steve opened his mouth to comment when a brush of flesh touched his lips.

A hand cupped the back of his head as Steve leaned farther into the kiss, feeling the breaks in the skin of the dry lips pressed carefully against his own.

“Oh, come on, James! We’re trying to take a picture here!” Tony yelled out, his voice exasperated.

“Tony…” Bruce sighed.

“I’m surrounded by idiots.” Came a half hearted sigh from behind Steve.

Thor’s heavy laugh reverberated around the room as Steve heard a quiet “cute,” muttered by a very amused Natasha.

There was a click of a camera lens, and Steve reached up to the bearded face in front of him.

The chaste kiss broke and Steve couldn’t help but grin at the man in front of him. An answering smile touched the edges of his fingers, making his heart soar.

“One more picture, Clint. Then we have to serve dinner and eat.” Sam informed the room.

Steve just continued to grin as another click sounded. What a special family to spend a special holiday with.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas, my dear readers. And a Happy Hannukah and Joyous Kwanza to those who celebrate. To those who don’t, may your break be long and filled with warmth.
> 
> As well as a Hopeful New Year, a nice Ramadan, a good Passover, happy Easter, and a myriad of other holidays that will be coming before I publish anything else. 
> 
> However, hope is not lost. I am writing a sequel to this story, it will just take a very long time to come out. I hope to see you all there when it does.


End file.
